Day 31

Boom!

Well, it's here.  The day after the completion of the Whole 30 challenge.  

I finished strong last night with a BBQ with some close friends.  We went from snowstorms to 70 degrees in a week.   So at the first hint of spring, we were itching be be outside and grab some Vitamin D, therefore, a BBQ was deemed necessary for our souls.  We had beef kabobs, tea, veggie roll ups, eggplant and fresh fruit.   The HolyLand garlicy hummus looked and smelled amazing, as well as the grilled potatoes but those were still off limits.  I knew there was only 6 hours left but I wanted to finish strong.  And I did.

Raw Zucchini, Carrot, Cashew Salad Rolls

I recommend doing mini roll-ups.  Trying to roll 8 zucchini together at the same time proved to be a first-timers nightmare.  Spread a teaspoon of guacamole and cashew spread over the zucchini, loads up with veggies and roll!  The hint of mint and cilantro provide a refreshing taste of summer!

I will say this....I did not do this challenge because it was my goal to lose any weight.  I had been slowly working on changing my diet a couple of years ago so I had reached a weight that I felt comfortable.  I realized that I spent all of college studying and drinking lattes.  No, really - I love to learn so I spent a majority of my time working a few jobs OR studying.  Nutrition wasn't quite my focal point at the time.  And when I graduated from college, I was probably 175 or 180 pounds on a 5'7-8" frame.  I started working out, hiking, playing derby and training for a marathon.  I lost weight but a couple of years ago, I wanted to really think about what I was eating and be more mindful about it.  I wanted to really eat three solid meals a day (previously I would skip meals because I was too busy at work).  I learned that you need to make time for your body to enjoy food.  And I lost more weight.

Before starting the Whole 30 my weight was just about (and even 5 pounds less) than the weight I was when I graduated high school.  And I'm sure you all already know this if you are aging - the weight just appears differently as you get older.

While my goal wasn't to lose weight, I am incredibly surprised to see the scales drop as much as they did.  I thought I'd lose a few pounds from eradicating all those delicious sugar treats I make as part of my job and part of my hobby (baking!) but I wouldn't have expected this much.

I did this diet because my stomach was acting weird.  My eczema was going crazy (hands and feet).  Was it from derby pads?  What it from my diet?  Everything I read pointed to my diet so I wanted something to help guide me in figuring out how my body responds to specific foods.  And, I wanted to be healthier.  Plus, I didn't want to go to a doctor who would just prescribe me a pill or a cream and be done with it.  I wanted to find the root of the issue, not just a band-aid.

The Results

                 Weight          Bust           Waist         Hips
Before        145               35"            31.5"         40"
After          135.4            35"            30"            37.5"

Aftermath

I am the first to say that it is important to have a well-balanced diet.  And I still believe that to be true.  I felt like I had a pretty well balanced diet before (I could still eat more veggies).  But the Whole30 helped me to realize that my body feels WAY better without those foods I depended on for so long - dairy, legumes, grains, SWEETS.   I didn't experience being "hungry", starving after a long day at work.  I didn't get the energy highs and lows throughout my day.  I was just always awake.  And, I think my husband would say that I wasn't an emotional nutcase - which he was worried of the chance that sweet, dairy and grain depravation would lead me to be an angry person without knowing it.

I'm going to slowly integrate foods back into my diet, starting with dairy to see how it goes and assess my body's reactions.  Then add some grains - evaluate and process.  But overall, I'd like to keep up what I've learned over the past 30 days and continue eating this way, for the most part.

Unlike running a marathon, I would definitely take on the Whole30 challenge again.  Next time, I'd like to focus on eating even more vegetables and trying to get rid of the "sweets".   Our minds are powerful things.  I know I personally need a challenge, something that helps keep me accountable to the rules - even if it's just knowing I'm doing a challenge.

For more information about the Whole30 check out: http://whole9life.com/category/whole-30/

Day 26

April 22, 2013

Heyo!

Well it's been quite awhile since I've last written.  We've had two huge snowstorms within the last week, making commutes less than desirable and cutting into my evening activities and writing.

My intention was to make this a daily journal, cataloging all of my new foods I have been trying while on the Whole 30.  I've read over and over again that keeping a food journal, helps you to not only be more reflective about what you are eating but can help identify if you have food sensitivities.  The only hiccup with keeping a food journal is that if you miss a day, it makes it incredibly difficult to get caught up.  Especially if you miss a few days in a row.  I'm pretty sure I have pieces of postings here and there, on this or that computer along with an updated cover letter, resume, a business plan, and other pieces I've been working on recently.

But to bring you up to speed here are the things I've been eating since Day 16.

• Meat - lots and lots of meat.
• Sweet Potato Fries - LOVE this recipe and I've now perfected it!
• Green Smoothie - because a little bit of fruit with a lot of spinach is a nice after work "cocktail"
• Broccoli - I despised this vegetable until recently starting the Whole 30.  I steamed it and then tossed it with a tiny amount of ghee and freshly cracked pepper and sea salt.
• Chicken Curry - best comfort food since we keep getting snowstorms in MN and it's almost May   
• Soup - my most favorite option for work lunches during the week!  Check out this tortilla-less soup recipe I got from my awesome co-worker who is also on the Whole 30 with me - we used pork!
• Tea - My go-to is caffeine free Good Earth Original.  I LOVE the cinnamon overtones!

I still feel really good (aside my reaction to raisins/dates).  I have WAY more energy at night.  And I've always been a morning person but I feel like I wake up even more "ready to go".  I don't have energy highs and lows and I never feel starving or have a deep hunger rumbling in my stomach.  To be honest, I haven't really worked out at all since April 6th (rollerderby championship game) so I'm not sure how my caloric intake would hold up to a rigorous work out schedule.  I would assume I'd need to consume even more vegetables.....since I'm consciously doing that on this first round of the Whole 30.  The biggest "problem", if we can even call it a problem at all, is that when you eat foods high in nutrients, they fill out up so you are less likely to over eat or feel super hungry.  You know...the kind of hunger where you definitely don't want to be in a grocery store because then you leave having purchased 2 boxes of different cookies, a frozen pizza, and a wealth of other treats.  Now, when I walk into Whole Foods, I can't wait to try their produce samples!  What happened to me?!?!?!?!?          

As I wrap up my last few days, I've been beginning to plan for life after the Whole 30.  I have some more reading to do to ensure I'm not going to get myself ill within the first 24 hours from eating donuts, cheese and pizza crust.  I end the Whole 30 this Friday but I have two major events this weekend - The Wheelies and a Spring Gala.  I'm going to give it my best effort to eat as cleanly as possible but I'm just not sure what will be offered on the menu.  That's the issue with going out to fundraisers, parties or just "out" in general....it takes a lot of work to know what's going in your food and how it's prepared.  I've found that it's easier to plan ahead and eat at home.

Until tomorrow!

Day 16

Friday, April 12th

Overview of Day
Breakfast:  two eggs, 2 slices of bacon
Lunch:  Cantaloupe, Carrot Ginger Soup
Dinner:  Rotisserie Chicken with Garlic Mashed Cauliflower; Mixed green side salad with onions, olives, tomatoes and balsamic vinaigrette; 1 cup of coffee; fried bananas with cinnamon

When I got home from work today, I went on a cleaning/cooking spurt!  I had kale, medjool dates, cauliflower and salsa materials that I needed to use up.

So I've learned that my body HATES raisins and dates.  My body flat out rejects these items despite however small the quantities I eat are.  Stabbing pains in my stomach, almost so awful that the other night it woke me up and I felt like a trip to the hospital was in order!  After doing a lot of research, it is common that some folks have this issue.  Raisins and dates are high in fiber and since the stomach can't break it all down, it passes into the gut as this bloated mass of gas.  In talking with a friend, she said she had the same happen to her when she had black beans.  Sure enough, beans were on the list...but so were many other things.....even milk products.  The manfriend wondered why I didn't exhibited these symptoms before....and that's because I only ate raisins once a year (maybe) and medjool dates - NEVER.

So I'll try some supplements to help break down the fiber in foods but basically, I just need to stay FAR AWAY from anything that resembles a raisin. Watch out people.....raisins will stab you in the gut!

 The Lunch of "Orange"

Homemade Blueberry Muffin larabar straight out of the food processor

 Homemade Blueberry Muffin larabar, panned

 Kale Chips!

Garlic Mashed Cauliflower with 1 T. ghee

Pride & Inspiration

This isn't at all related to the Whole 30 challenge but I figured I'd write a little something about things that inspire me.  One of those things is the work of my students.  Sometimes I just want to burst with joy when I see what students can do and where their creativity brings them!  I think about where they were when they started my class and where they end up.  I think about how each of them struggles with one thing or another during the semester and by the end, mot are quite proficient in baking!

Here are some cool pics of the things students have created within a week or two of learning about cake decorating.  I can only imagine their greater success as we spend more time working on these skills this semester!

Where do you find your culinary inspiration?  Pinterest? Friends? Family? TV shows?

Day 15

Overview of Day
Breakfast:  two eggs, two pieces of bacon
Lunch:  Leftover Pot Roast
Dinner:  Taco Salad w/ guac and onions

Well, we didn't have a snow day today so I wasn't able to relax and catch up on my student's culinary adventures.  I guess that will have to wait until this weekend.  I was a little sad we didn't have a snow day because I knew that my 26 mile commute was going to be a rough one - and I was right!  It took me one hour and fifteen minutes to get to work today.  That's not the worst commute I've had but I do look forward to warmer weather, clear roads and sunshine on my commute.
During inclement weather I feel like I drive super cautiously mostly because I'm not interested in having  the air bags in my car deploy - the smell is one I won't forget.

After work, the roads were better so the commute home was normal.  I welcomed this as my friend was coming over to update my resume as soon as I got home.  While we were working, I had the manfriend prep the ingredients for the Carrot Ginger Soup.  Since I tend to make the soup, I completely forgot to tell him how I have modified the recipe.   For this particular recipe I just fry up the butternut squash with the onions and garlic rather than roasting it.  I also use chicken broth instead of water - this time I used 3 cup of chicken broth and 1 cup of water.  He had piles of bright vegetables waiting for me.

I kicked him out of the kitchen because his eyes were watering from the strong onions, finished the soup and started to pull together some guacamole.  I really love this guacamole.  It's super easy and quick to pull together.  It goes well with...pretty much everything!

 The massive amount of vegetables for the soup!

 Delicious avocado with freshly squeezed lime juice

The soup in progress!

After I had the guac together, I needed to use the ground beef in our fridge.  So I made some taco meat.   I love making taco meat because it's one leftover that I actually enjoy eating.  I'm kind of weird about leftovers.  There are some things I love as leftovers but most things I'm just not interested in.  For the most part, I think I just get bored with leftovers.  I absolutely have no interest in reheated chinese food but curry is a different story.  Now that the King and I Thai restaurant closed its door, I really miss green curry.

I was hoping to try a curry recipe this weekend to shake things up.  Time to experiment to find a copy cat recipe...

Day 14

Overview of Day:
Breakfast:  Two eggs, 2 pieces of bacon, cup of tea
Lunch:  Leftover sweet potato chicken patty with a tiny portion of mashed root vegetables, cup of tea, handful of raisins
Dinner:  Leftover potroast w/ vegetables

If you haven't heard or read from afar, there is a massive winter storm moving into Minneapolis this evening.  Projected totals: 6-10 inches.  And it's supposed to snow more tomorrow!  I'm always intrigued at how weather patterns can drastically differ from year to year.  Last year, it was 80 degrees on St.Paddy's day and now it's mid-April with massive snow and ice storms.  If mother nature won't bring us spring, I'd settle for a horrible snowstorm making it impossible for children to go to school tomorrow!  I could really use a day on the couch, grading loads of blogs my students submitted recently.

Day 13

Overview of Day:
Breakfast:  two scrambled eggs, bacon, 2 cups of decaf Good Earth Tea
Lunch:  Chicken vegetable soup
Dinner:  Pot Roast with vegetables!

I really can't believe that the Whole 30 is nearly half done!  Where did the time go?  I feel like I have so much more to learn and understand.  I know I'm only 13 days in but the experience has been easier than expected.   And I'm incredibly grateful for that.

Being on this journey does require vigilance in planning.  Otherwise, I could see how it could be less than eventful.  I find pinterest one of my best planning tools to help find new ideas.  Where do you go to find ideas on your meal planning?

Day 12

Monday Overview:
Breakfast: 1 cup of tea, 1 cup of watermelon
Lunch: Chicken Vegetable Soup
Dinner: Sweet Potato Fries; Grass Fed Bacon Hamburger with onions and a side salad
Snack: Coffee; Sauteed Cinnamon Walnut Bananas

I was determined to start this week off better than I ended last week. I'm really surprised at how little I feel hungry.  In fact, I don't notice that I'm hungry at all (unless I've not eaten the whole day but it still feels so different than before)!  Previously, by the time I got home, I'd be craving a snack of some sort.  I'd usually reach for a few slices of cheese and some Triscuts.  I love the crunch of grains.  Out of everything I can't consume during this Whole 30, it's the crunch of grains I miss most.  I don't really miss the dairy which is rather surprising since I'm a Wisconsin girl at heart - raised on a steady diet of milk and squeaky cheese curds from the time I was in the womb.  Pretty sure I was eating cheese curds the day I was born.  If you don't know what squeaky cheese curds are check out this picture from http://www.eattoblog.com.   These, my friends, are squeaky cheese curds and they are pretty fantastic.  They exhault all other cheesecurds and there isn't a need to deep fry them to hide inconsistencies.  They are just perfect as they are.

Let's get back on track.  This week was going to be better than the end of last week.  I was able to convince a co-worker (another foods teacher) to go on the whole 30 journey with me.  She has been a great resource to not only share ideas or recipes with but someone I can talk to about the experience.  In any case, she had texted me on Sunday morning to say that she would be making Chicken vegetable soup.  Since I had just frozen some of my butternut squash soup (whole 30 friendly), I asked her if she wanted to swap out some soup so we could each try our recipes.  She brought some in on Monday and it looked (and smelled) so fragrantly delicious - I couldn't wait for lunch. I wish I had taken a picture but I'm sorry - I forgot!

I had happy hour plans with a friend and afterwards we were supposed to go to a public lecture on the Physics of Cooking.  Seems intriguing, right?  In any case, we went to The Republic that is known for it's grass fed beef burgers and cocktail selection.  I knew that I was going to be a little high maintenance when ordering so I was trying to be really nice about it.  No bun, no cheese, raw onions - side of sweet potato fries.  When the food was given to us, it was missing the bacon completely and our fries didn't come out.  I asked for the bacon and after a few minutes, we realized he had forgotten to put in the fry order.  Yeesh.  Who knew that it would be so difficult to get a meat patty with some bacon on it?

Our conversation was engaging and before we knew it, we were running late for the lecture.  Parking was atrocious so we ended up just going home.  Sorry I don't have fun new learning to report on here.

When I got home, I made up a little cup of coffee for myself.  My hubby loves his coffee super dark.  I loved my coffee medium with sugar and cream.  Now, I just prefer light coffee without those additives.

I had recently seen an idea on a blog about frying up some bananas.  I decided that I'd put my coconut oil to good use and how frying up some bananas would go.  I dropped less than a tablespoon of oil into the pan, dripped in a little vanilla and placed the sliced banana pieces in the pan.  Fry for a few minutes on a side then flip.  Spinkle some cinnamon on top of fried bananas and then drop some walnuts on top for the finishing touch!  Yummmm............................  but a little sweet.  A nice way to end the night.

Links to Recipes:

The Weekend of Glory (Day 9-11)

If life weren't chaotic enough, let's pack the weekend full of great adventures, family and friends!  One of my dear friends got surprised married on Friday night!  Okay, in reality she gave us a a week or so's notice but overall, it was a surprise.  I had a leadership board meeting on Saturday and then family and friends in town for my last ever rollerderby bout with the Minnesota RollerGirls Saturday night.  Jam packed.


Friday Overview (Day 9):
Breakfast:  2 cups of tea (my eggs weren't done!)
Lunch:  nothing - my dressing was frozen!
Snack: Green smoothie
Dinner: Steak, sweet potato fries, asparagus


I am sad to report that this weekend's food consumption was SO POOR.  Nearly malnourished.  It began with breakfast on Friday.  When I got to work Friday morning, I realized my hard boiled eggs that I had set aside for breakfast, were not completely cooked through to my liking.  In the trash they went and I didn't plan for a back up.  Note to self: have a larabar or something small to use as a backup in case a meal doesn't work out as planned.

For lunch, I was excited to have a big salad waiting for me until I noticed that my balsamic vinagrette has hardened because it was near the back of the fridge.  And it stayed that way until a few hours later when I was done with work.  I munched on a handful of raisins but I was really, really craving some wholesome food.  Unfortunately, that comes later.  After work, I rushed to St.Paul to reconcile tickets for the Minnesota RollerGirls' home season championship bout.  By the time I got home, my family was waiting at the door.

I began to immediately prepare dinner - steaks, sweet potato and regular fries, rolls and asparagus.  The manfriend was at a leadership retreat so luckily while my family relaxed, my friend Maggie helped me prep all the vegetables while I attended to the steak and other welcome train activities!

I really wanted to eat at the restaurants where my friend was getting married but after reviewing the website, I determined there really wasn't anything on the menu that I could eat.  This is why the fall back meal became steak and potatoes and all of us sat down to enjoy a nice dinner all together.

After we cleaned up, we ended to the cocktail reception for the wedding.  It was a great gathering but we had to leave by 10 pm because I wanted to apply for a job, where the deadline was at 11:59 pm.

Saturday Overview (Day 10):
Breakfast:  Plate of fresh fruit (strawberries, grapes, melon) & 1 cup of coffee
Lunch:  two scrambled eggs, 2 slices of bacon, 1 smoothie (spinach, carrots, strawberries, banana)
Dinner: N/A
Snack:  Apple, 2 eggs (at 2 am!)

Saturday morning:  Stopped at panera to enjoy a cup of coffee before my meeting.  When I got to my meeting at 8:45 am, they had a nice buffet of fruit, juice, meat/cheese, and bagels.  I loaded up on a lot of fresh fruit, mostly because there wasn't another option.  When I came  home, I inhaled eggs and two slices of bacon that were left over from the family breakfast I had missed.  I made a veggie smoothie and enjoyed a cup of tea.  My family stopped back over to hang out and relax for a bit before we headed out to derby.

Saturday night: The main event - ROLLERDERBY!  I've been skating with the Minnesota RollerGirls for 6 years.  I love it and quite frankly, it's been a hard decision to leave.  However, I've torn both of my PCL's in the past and last summer had a really awful ankle sprain which kept me from anything athletic for over 3 months.  Sometimes your body is trying to tell you something that your heart or mind aren't quite ready for....and for me, that is leaving rollerderby.

So, my manfriend did a phenomenal job coordinating 55 people in the Venus ThighTrap VIP section.  They all went to dinner beforehand so they were all well nourished.  In the past, I've typically eaten pretty light on bout days and then eat a PowerBar and beef jerky during the two hours warm up process.  It has always held me over until right after the bout when I go grab a burger and fries.  This time, there were only CLIF bars with many processed ingredients in them and gatorade.  I was really disappointed that there wasn't jerky on hand.  It probably wouldn't have been Whole 30 compliant but I needed some serious food in my body.  The apple and raisins I brought along just weren't going to cut it.

And, I felt fine through most of the bout.  That is, until the very end when we clinched the Golden Skate.  I'm not sure if it was the super low levels of electrolytes, the lack of nutrients in my system or something else but as I stood up to skate over to our victorious team, my legs had no power and I found myself kneeling for a moment to gather my strength.  I was light-headed and woozy.  When I pictured my final bout, I definitely didn't think of being light-headed or woozy.  Still, it was an amazing moment in my derby life.

The Atomic Bombshells

2013 Golden Skate Champions

Venus ThighTrap (me)

and the

Mighty Golden Skate

While I'm usually too tired and dehydrated to go to the after party, I figured this was my last shot to be with my team and celebrate our big achievement.  So we headed to the bar - with a delicious buffet of pizzas waiting for the skaters.  Again, while I wasn't craving pizza - I just wanted something in my stomach.  They bar didn't serve any other food I could eat so I had my apple on the way over.  That helped my wooziness but I still felt a little out of it.  We hung out with fans and even danced a little.  By 1 am, I really wanted real food.  We headed home.  I ate.  I slept.  And I loved every moment of rest.

Sunday Overview (Day 11):
Breakfast:  woke up too late!
Lunch: Chipotle Chicken Salad
Snack: a handful of Kale Chips
Dinner: Sweet Potato, Kale, & Chicken Patty, Mashed Root Vegetables (turnips, parsnips)
Snack:  1/2 of a homemade apple pie larabar, 1 cup of coffee

Sunday: Since we woke up way later than expected (9 am), by the time my family left, it was about lunch time.  The manfriend and I went to Chipotle and I devoured my salad. 

I ran some errands and got some fresh greens.  Since I knew that we'd be using kale in our chicken patties, I wanted to find a good recipe to try kale chips for the first time.  I've heard nothing but great things about kale chips.  And, they turned out pretty good.

Also, I wanted to learn how to make ghee.  There is a great tutorial on how to make your own homemade ghee at Veggiebelly.com  filled with many helpful photos.  Our neighbor had previously offered to mentor me through my first attempt of making ghee, and I gladly took her up on her offer.  She came over and within 20 minutes, I had some very beautiful ghee to call my own!

By that time, I wanted some dinner.  The manfriend worked on the mashed vegetables while I fried up the chicken patties in a little bit of bacon grease.   Here is a picture from the website where I got the recipe:

Until tomorrow!

Day Five

Sorry this was short...the week got away from me!

Overview of Day:
Breakfast: Egg Scramble with bacon, onion and mushrooms
Lunch: handful of raisins, Mixed green salad with onion, tomatoes, hard boiled egg and olives
Dinner:  Almond coconut chicken tenders with guacamole and homemade sweet potato chips.

Details of the day:
First day back at work and it was a little bit more challenging than spring break Whole 30.  I didn't awake hungry.  I went grocery shopping at 6:45 am so by the time I got to work, food seemed like a good idea. Since it was leftovers, I wasn't too dazzled but it was food and it did the job!

I made this delicious guacamole tonight!  It went well with the almond coconut chicken breasts and the homemade sweet potato chips.  Simple but hit the spot!

Day Four

Woke up to find that I accidentally left my zucchini soup on the counter over night!  UGH.  There goes a waste of money and a few lunches.

Since it's Easter, most stores are closed.  I have some frozen butternut squash from the pre-Whole 30 journey but it has 1.5T of butter in the entire batch.  A nominal amount but I'm not supposed to have butter.

Today, I ran another experiment.  Because those Larabars are just too expensive, I scoured the internet to find a copycat recipe.  I found one that most resembled the ingredients listed on the package and gave it a shot!  Sweet lord - they are tasty!  And, SO simple to make.  If you have a food processor and 5 minutes, make these today!

The ingredients

The final product ready for chilling (not packaged yet)

This week is going to be difficult.  I'm teach Baking and Pastry so I'm always around unhealthy but delicious treats.  For the next two-three weeks we are learning about yeast breads.  Cinnamon Rolls, croissants, sourdough, homemade pretzels......

Links to Recipes:

• Larabar Apple Pie CopyCat Recipe